England – Windsor (En)
We went to Windsor to see the castle—home to the British royal family for nearly 1,000 years—built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century and extensively remodelled by later monarchs. The castle is impressive and dominates the town centre. We loved the charming cobblestone streets, flanked by historic buildings, cute pubs, and unique shops.
Where to stay
We parked at the Alexandra Gardens car park (coordinates 51.4841269, 0.614786054), right in the city centre. Motorhomes are permitted to park there day and night. The price varies by the hour; a full day costs £19. We didn’t stay overnight—we stopped to visit the city, paid £4.60 for two hours, and had enough time to see everything. The car park has no facilities. I recommend it for visiting this charming city.
What to see
We walked through Alexandra Gardens along the River Thames. The gardens were completed in 1905, and a bandstand was built where the Royal Horse Guards regularly performed.
We crossed the main street and arrived at Windsor Castle, the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. A square in front of the castle features a statue of the Queen and an elephant that Ben took a photo with. We think the King was visiting, as armed soldiers were at the gate and the castle and grounds were closed to the public.
We wandered through cobblestone streets lined with historic buildings, passing by a museum and some really cool pubs—our favourite part.
We arrived at the Church of St John the Baptist, one of the city’s oldest and most iconic historic buildings. It was originally built in the 12th century; the current structure was rebuilt in 1822, above the medieval vaults of the original building. It was open, so we visited the interior. The highlights inside include a painting of the Last Supper and various examples of decorative art.
We walked past the castle walls and arrived at the old royal train station, which is now home to bars, cafés, and a locomotive from 1894. It is a really cool place.
We returned to Alexandra Gardens by taking an elevator down from the top of the old railway tracks, where we took panoramic photos of the city.
In the afternoon, we headed to the Midlands, to Bridgnorth—a historic market town in Shropshire—which you can see in the following blog post.
